“Spinning Plates,” a portrait of three American restaurants,
is an engrossing documentary about artistic innovation, cultural legacy,
community pride and beautiful food ably assisted by Erin Harvey’s
cinematography. The undisputed star is renowned chef Grant Achatz, owner of
Chicago’s Alinea. The wispy-goateed wunderkind describes his ongoing efforts to
make his molecular gastropub the ‘best restaurant in the country’ and he
envisions food as art. Alinea has already received numerous honors, including
being named the best eatery in America by Restaurant magazine. And staffers are
seen anxiously waiting to hear if they’ve been awarded the coveted Michelin
three-star rating. Achatz’s aspirations are grounded by the story of his diagnosis
of stage-four tongue cancer at the peak of his career. By contrast, Breitbach’s Country Dining
in tiny Balltown, Iowa, a town that rose up around the restaurant rather than
vice versa, is a community center as well as a tourist destination. (Balltown’s
population is about 70, but the business can serve up to 2,000 on a busy
weekend.) All-American comfort food (fried chicken, mashed potatoes, homemade
pie) is the name of the game and the Breitbach family is as involved in daily
operations as it was when the restaurant opened 161 years ago. La Cocina de
Gabby, a Mexican restaurant in Tucson, Arizona, opened by émigré Francisco
Martinez, is a smaller venture, one that showcases Martinez’s wife Gabby’s
cooking. But the establishment struggles and the couple’s heavily mortgaged
home hangs in the balance.
While the different types of fame Alinea and Breitbach’s
enjoy provide a certain insurance, the Martinez venture illustrates just how
difficult it is to launch and sustain a restaurant in today’s tough economy. Director
Joseph Levy tries to draw parallels in the subjects’ extreme dedication,
exhausting long hours and trouble fitting in normal family time, which
sometimes works. There are vague correlations drawn between food and community,
although that means something very different at an event destination like
Alinea (where dinner for two might cost $800) than it does at a neighborly
mega-diner like Breitbach’s. Also, we seldom hear from customers so there’s a
curious blank spot in the narrative as if the quality of food really isn’t
important. What really works are the personal dramas that arise. The Martinez
family’s precarious financial situation is one source of suspense as is
Achatz’s health and the two serious fires that hit Breitbach’s. Ultimately, “Spinning
Plates” is an enjoyable experience that will have you seeking food when you
leave the theater. 10/26/13
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